Reformation Baptist Church Wetumpka

Everything around us is changing. Our circumstances change. People change. Nations change. We ourselves change. But Scripture points us to one unshakable truth: God does not change. In this expositional sermon from Malachi 3:5–6, Pastor Brandon Scroggins focuses on two eternal realities: judgment is coming, and God is unchanging. Malachi describes the Lord drawing near as a “swift witness” against sin. God’s coming judgment reveals His perfect justice, His hatred of sin, and mankind’s desperate need for forgiveness in Jesus Christ. Yet the same passage also gives extraordinary comfort to God’s people: “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.” — Malachi 3:6 The doctrine of God’s immutability means that God does not change in His nature, character, purposes, promises, or covenant faithfulness. His justice does not change—but neither do His mercy, goodness, faithfulness, or promises to His people. In a world of constant change, the Christian’s security is found by tethering ourselves to the One who never changes. Sermon: A Swift Witness Text: Malachi 3:5–6 Preacher: Pastor Brandon Scroggins Church: Reformation Baptist Church 

Key themes in this sermon include: the judgment of God, the fear of God, repentance, forgiveness in Christ, the works of the flesh, the fruit of the Spirit, God’s covenant faithfulness, and the doctrine of divine immutability.

“And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” — 1 Corinthians 6:11

#Malachi #ImmutabilityOfGod #ReformedBaptist #ExpositoryPreaching #GodDoesNotChange #JudgmentOfGod #1689BaptistConfession #ReformedTheology #ChristianSermon #ReformationBaptistChurch

What is God really doing when He allows affliction and suffering into our lives? In this expository message from Malachi 3:1-6, Pastor Brandon Scroggins of Reformation Baptist Church continues our verse-by-verse series through Malachi, showing that the God who promises to bring justice is also the God who refines and purifies His people through the fire — sanctifying us right in the middle of our suffering.

Picking up from last week's study of Malachi 2:17 ("Where is the God of justice?"), this message unpacks three movements in the text: the coming messenger of God (v.1), the purifying work of God (v.2-3), and the pleasing worship of God (v.4) — closing with seven practical, biblical answers to the question every believer eventually asks: why does God allow bad things to happen to His children?

KEY THEMES & TOPICS COVERED Malachi 3:1-6 sermon, the refiner's fire in the Bible, the messenger of the covenant, John the Baptist as forerunner, the Day of the Lord, sanctification through suffering, why God allows affliction, biblical theology of suffering and trials, expository preaching through Malachi, Reformed Baptist sermon on suffering, God's justice and mercy, purified worship, Malachi minor prophets series.

ABOUT REFORMATION BAPTIST CHURCH Reformation Baptist Church is led by Pastor Brandon Scroggins and is committed to the verse-by-verse, expository preaching of God's Word. Join us for our Hymn of the Month, Creed of the Month, and weekly exposition through the Scriptures as we grow together in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCED Malachi 2:17; Malachi 3:1-6; Isaiah 40:3; Isaiah 57:14; Isaiah 62:10; Matthew 13; Matthew 16:27; Matthew 17 (Transfiguration); Isaiah 43:2; Hebrews; 2 Corinthians 12.

#Malachi #ExpositoryPreaching #ReformationBaptistChurch

Why do the wicked prosper? Why does God allow evil and suffering? Where is God when justice seems delayed?

In this sermon from Reformation Baptist Church in Wetumpka, Alabama, Pastor Brandon Scroggins preaches from Malachi 2:17, where God’s people ask a question that still confronts us today: “Where is the God of justice?”

Malachi exposes three searching questions: Have we wearied God? Why do the wicked prosper? And where is the God of justice?

Through Malachi, Habakkuk, Psalm 73, Isaiah, Genesis, Luke, Romans, and 2 Peter, Pastor Brandon examines one of the most difficult questions of the Christian faith—the apparent prosperity of the wicked, the suffering of God’s people, and the seeming delay of divine justice.

God’s delayed justice is not evidence of His absence, weakness, or indifference. God is sovereign. God is good. God is patient. And God will judge the world with perfect righteousness in His appointed time.

But the doctrine of divine justice should also turn our eyes inward. Before demanding justice against others, we must recognize that we ourselves are sinners deserving judgment. The good news of the gospel is that God’s justice and mercy meet at the cross of Jesus Christ. Christ bore the judgment His people deserved so that sinners who repent and believe may be forgiven.

And for every injustice that remains unresolved in this life, Scripture gives the Christian confidence: the Judge of all the earth will do what is just.

SERMON: The God of Justice

What does God desire from marriage? In Malachi 2, the Lord confronts His people over unfaithful worship, broken marriage covenants, and the spiritual consequences that reach into the next generation.

Pastor Brandon Scroggins examines God’s purpose for marriage, the biblical meaning of becoming “one flesh,” and God’s desire for godly offspring. Marriage is a covenant designed to display the faithfulness of Christ and His Church and to provide a place where the next generation can be raised in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

This message also addresses marital faithfulness, biblical divorce, the responsibility of parents and the local church to disciple children, and the command of Malachi 2:15: “Guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth.”

Scripture: Malachi 2:13–16

Sermon: Seeking Godly Offspring, Part 2

Preacher: Pastor Brandon Scroggins

Church: Reformation Baptist Church

In Malachi 2:10–16, God confronts His people over covenant unfaithfulness—both toward Him and within their marriages. Pastor Brandon Scroggins explains how faithfulness in the home is inseparably connected to our worship, our witness, and our walk with God.

Marriage is more than a human agreement. It is a covenant made before God, and the Lord Himself stands as witness to that covenant. This passage warns against marrying unbelievers, treating marriage lightly, abandoning covenant faithfulness, and attempting to worship God while knowingly living in rebellion.

But Malachi also points us beyond our own failures to the perfect faithfulness of God. Though we have been unfaithful to Him, Christ pursued His people, bore the judgment our sins deserved, and purchased His bride through His own blood.

The call is clear: repent, believe the gospel, pursue Christ, and seek faithfulness in your marriage, family, church, and worship.

What happens when God’s covenant people begin to live faithlessly toward God and toward one another? In Malachi 2:10–12, the Lord confronts His people with the seriousness of covenant treachery. Though they share one Father and one Creator, they have dealt faithlessly with one another, profaned what God has made holy, and attempted to maintain outward worship while disregarding covenant faithfulness in their lives. Pastor Brandon Scroggins shows how the problem develops like falling dominoes: doubting the love of God produces corrupted worship, broken relationships, compromised families, and ultimately the loss of God’s blessing. Yet the passage also points us toward the faithfulness of God and our need for the grace found in Jesus Christ and the New Covenant. This sermon examines three movements in Malachi’s warning: 1. Betraying God’s People Because believers have one Father and belong to one covenant family, our personal faithfulness has consequences for the whole body. Christianity is not merely an individual relationship with God—we are members of one another. 2. Profaning God’s Holiness Judah’s intermarriage with those devoted to false gods demonstrated a deeper spiritual betrayal. Scripture warns believers against covenant unions that compromise loyalty to Christ and reminds us that the church is now the temple of the living God. 3. Severing God’s Blessing Malachi closes this section with a severe warning against outward worship coupled with inward rebellion. God will not be mocked by religious appearances while His covenant is knowingly despised. The call is to remember whose we are. God has been faithful to His people, and those who belong to Christ are called to walk in covenant faithfulness toward Him, toward the church, and within the family.

📖 Primary Text: Malachi 2:10–12

🎙️ Pastor: Brandon Scroggins

⛪ Reformation Baptist Church

In Malachi 2:4–9, Pastor Brandon Scroggins examines God’s covenant with Levi—a covenant of life and peace—and the powerful contrast between faithful, God-fearing leadership and the devastating influence of those who turn aside from God’s ways. Throughout Scripture, God establishes covenants as the framework through which He relates to His people. In Malachi, the Lord reminds the priests of the faithful example they had received: men who feared God, guarded His truth, walked in uprightness, and turned many away from sin. Yet the priests of Malachi’s generation had corrupted that covenant, departed from God’s way, and caused others to stumble. This passage is not merely a warning for pastors and church leaders. It is a call for every Christian to consider the influence of his or her life. What fills our mouths? Do we guard the truth of God’s Word? Are we walking with God in peace and uprightness? Are our lives helping turn others toward righteousness—or causing them to stumble? Ultimately, the life and peace pictured in the covenant with Levi point us to Jesus Christ, our perfect High Priest. Sin must be put to death for true peace to exist, and Christ alone provides the atonement, life, and peace sinners desperately need.

Scripture: Malachi 2:4–9

Preacher: Pastor Brandon Scroggins

Church: Reformation Baptist Church

What kind of worship does God accept? In Malachi, God confronts His people—and especially the priests—for offering Him polluted, halfhearted, second-rate worship. They had grown weary of worship, treated the Lord’s table with contempt, and offered God what cost them little. Yet the Lord declares, “I am a great King,” and His name will be feared and made great among the nations. In this sermon, Pastor Brandon Scroggins continues through Malachi and examines the seriousness of worship before a holy God. Malachi’s vivid warning of “dung on your faces” exposes the shame of worship that dishonors God and refuses to take His Word to heart. But the passage ultimately points us beyond Israel’s failed priests and unacceptable sacrifices to Jesus Christ—the perfect High Priest and the spotless sacrifice through whom believers are reconciled to God and offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to Him. The sermon concludes with practical application for Christians and families: How should we prepare our hearts, homes, and lives for corporate worship on the Lord’s Day? Rather than approaching worship as a burden or afterthought, believers are called to come with reverence, faith, love, preparation, and eagerness to receive the Word of God. Scripture: Malachi 1:11–2:3 Pastor: Brandon Scroggins Church: Reformation Baptist Church

In this sermon from Matthew 26, guest preacher Brent Madding examines the striking similarities—and the eternal difference—between Peter and Judas. Both men were called by Christ, personally taught by Christ, witnessed His miracles, served in ministry, experienced satanic temptation, and publicly betrayed the Lord. Yet one was restored while the other was lost. What made the difference? Judas wanted the benefits that came from following Jesus, but Peter wanted Jesus Himself. Judas experienced guilt without true repentance, while Peter’s love for Christ produced brokenness, repentance, and restoration. This message calls every professing Christian to examine his or her heart. Are we merely attached to Christianity, or do we genuinely love Jesus Christ? It also reminds believers that although a true Christian may fall grievously, Christ preserves His people, prays for them, restores them, and strengthens them by His grace.

Primary Text: Matthew 26

Preacher: Brent Madding

Church: Reformation Baptist Church

Can we worship the true God in the wrong way? In Malachi 1:6–11, the Lord rebukes His people for offering careless, polluted, and halfhearted worship. Rather than bringing their first and best, they brought God what was unwanted and worthless.

Pastor Brandon Scroggins explains why God deserves our highest honor, reverence, preparation, and devotion. This passage calls us to repent of apathetic worship, seek God’s mercy, and rest in Jesus Christ—the spotless Lamb whose perfect sacrifice makes the worship of His people acceptable before God.

From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord will be great among the nations.

Scripture: Malachi 1:6–11